Cailanna - John T. Baker M.S.
Mikayla - Shady Grove M.S.
Zaynab - Northwest H.S.
White Hispanic
My name is Oliver. Every morning it is difficult for me to wake up but what pushes me to leave my warm bed every morning to go to school is the fact that I want to do something with my life. What happens in my future all depends on how hard I work now and unless I work hard in school it will be difficult to be “successful.” I need to live up to this success because I want to make my parents proud. I was blessed with amazing parents who always support me and let me pursue the future I want. I love computer science and programming and, like they always have, my parents are proud that I found something I want to pursue. They expect great things from me and although I don’t view myself as a genius or anything close to that I will still work as hard as I can to exceed those expectations they have of me.
Oliver - Albert Einstein H.S.
Black is beauty
The black inside of you is meaningful do not throw it away and forget about it do not feel scared
The black inside you is you
The black inside of you is unique
The black inside of you is exquisite
The black inside of you is like no other
The black inside of you is like a chain connecting all of your beauty and ancient connection form
The black inside you is beautiful, it is ancient, it is your star
Beza - Pyle M.S.
Which Asian Are You?
Wide-eyed, smelly food.
Bad at driving, smelly breath
I wish upon you all death
Go back to China, they booed.
Life’s not fair, father said.
Accept and thrive, till you’re dead.
There’s no point, we’re yellow,
We don’t belong with those fellows.
“Which Asian are You?”
From the country that knows Kung Fu?
Or the land of the Ninjas and Sushi?
He sounded a bit pushy.
The brown boy took his hand out,
He stood tall and stout.
I looked up, confused
I could not refuse.
The birth of a friendship was made,
Finally, a person who stayed.
No longer alone, without a companion,
No longer a lost stallion.
He was there,
Even when I couldn’t find where
And people like him,
Aren’t born on a whim.
With education and hope,
We can rekindle the trope,
That all men and women are created the same,
No more a divided flame
Brandon - Poolesville H.S.
Our Voices of Hope Song & Lyrics by Jaidon - Hallie Wells M.S. (Special thanks to Mr. Doggett!)
Dami - Montgomery Blair H.S.
Elif - Walt Whitman H.S.
Alexandra - Herbert Hoover M.S.
Samanyu - Eastern M.S.
Tomorrow by Ethan - Rosa Parks M.S.
Aditi - Parkland Magnet Middle School
Nathaly - Paint Branch H.S.
My Spanish is the other part of my soul. La parte de mi alma que sueña y ríe. La tonada inconfundible de mi abuela India y el color brillante de sus enagüas frondosas. El acordión lastimero de las ebrias norteñas de mi padre y los requintos melancólicos de los boleros de mi madre. My Spanish is a D in English as a second language porque las contradicciones del sintaxis me confundieron y el gerundio me traicionó.
I am Russian,
But do I feel that way?
It’s never the topic of discussion
That my Russian went astray.
I each Russian foods
And celebrate their holidays,
But I’m in a feud,
Because I always ask them to rephrase.
Not in Russian but in the language that I know,
Because I do not understand
The language that I stow,
Way deep in my brain, no longer on command.
How can I be Russian if I cannot speak it?
If all I’ve known is the US?
I wish I could just commit
And stop putting up a fuss.
Begin to learn the speech
That I had once known.
Just go out and reach
For the language that has flown,
Flown way up high into space.
The language that I must remember,
So as not to be a disgrace
And could finally be a member,
Of the family, I love so dearly
The family that I adore
But barely see yearly,
I’m just waiting to soar.
Elizabeth - Richard Montgomery H.S.
Sophia - Westland M.S.
Amy - Walter Johnson H.S.
Renata - Thomas Pyle M.S.
Rise Up Song by Alex and Maya - Silver Spring International M.S.
Black.
Black girl
Here comes a black girl
See her well-made locs?
We love black girls’ big lips.
And how black girl talks.
Black boy
Here comes black boy,
See his nice twisted dreads,
We love black boys’ brown eyes.
And how black boys dress.
But do we ever notice
The newspapers, the magazines,
The news channels, all summaries
Of how blacks left and right
Are killed unjustly through the night.
I am not forcing,
I am not making,
I simply am asking, that you people start waking.
These things came long ago, and have never stopped.
Don’t think a 1-month representation or those laws that were made centuries,
Will ever save,
Our black girls and boys from being mentally enslaved.
Habi - Sligo M.S.
Family taught me to always nurture our loved ones.
But what about me?
Shouldn’t I nurture myself too?
Growing up with an Hispanic family who prioritizes others instead of themselves,
you grow up to be a people pleaser.
After a while, it gets really lonely after years of trying to make others happy.
When life kicks you back into reality, you start to learn that you never nurtured yourself.
It’s when you start realizing how lonely you are.
All those years you spent caring about others except you never cared about yourself and no one else nurtured you the way you nurtured others.
And now you’re just an aching child trying to learn how to care for yourself.
Nurturing in Loneliness
Evelin - Wheaton H.S.
Having faith in the people in this world
Optimism, knowing better days are ahead
Promise, the potential of change in the world
Everything we need right now as a shadow of sadness looms over the earth.
What we need is hope so we can get back up and continue to fight the good fight.
JP - Silver Creek M.S.
Box - Odessa Shannon M.S.
Soldiers of an Unspoken War
by Angelie
Placid smiles, painted on purplish faces
practiced laughs to distract from tear traces
silenced opinions and even quieter screams
hidden scars and unfulfilled dreams.
They say that we're equal, while it's ingrained in our heads,
that the color of our skin makes it okay that we're dead.
Liberation is not just for the white and the cis,
but for anyone who's refused the right to exist.
We are fragile and broken, but we have learned how to hide it.
Hide our culture, hide our past.
Does a fire still burn when no one is home to ignite it?
Our parents ran from one war, only to face yet another;
no choice but to keep your eyes shut and take cover.
Fingers interlocked,
aligned in a united stand.
For we may die in the fight,
but we'll die holding a friend's hand.
Angelie - Seneca Valley H.S.
My Culture
I go to synagogue
I speak spanish at home
I love my culture
It feels good to say shalom
Shabbat candles give us light
We then say the prayers
Later dancing salsa all night
This is my protective layer
My community teaches me to be kind
To those poor or maybe blind
It gives me a place where I make friends
And a set of values that I respect to all ends
Religion and culture make up my identity
I love all of my diversity
Orit - North Bethesda M.S.
Sarah - Redland M.S.
Having learning disabilities can be difficult, but you can persevere.
Elon Musk, Richard Branson, Albert Einstein, Thomas Edison
Having learning disabilities makes you unique - you think outside of the box.
Charles Darwin, Isaac Newton, Mark Twain, Greta Thunberg
Having learning disabilities makes you special - because you see the world in a different way.
Mozart,Beethoven, Michelangelo Picasso
Having learning disabilities makes you different - but nobody is the same
All these famous people are just like me - maybe learning disabilities are really learning abilities.
Juliet - Julius West M.S.
Mohammed - Thomas Edison H.S.
Video of the Culinary Art of Japan by Luka - John T. Baker M.S.
This story will be about my family and culture so to start things off my dad is from Guatemala while my mom is from El Salvador and I remember when both of them told me they were there there for the civil war the one in Guatemala my dad told me that there would be soldiers everywhere marching and you would have young kids at the age of 5 or 6 already learning on how to arm a gun and shoot and you have some others who are already building guns and they were young so the civil war was very serious, What did my dad do well he was ordered to stay at home until the war was over but then he told me that he would go outside sometimes but he was careful though and reason why the civil war happened in Guatemala it was because of oppression the government was corrupt in Guatemala and the people were sick of the corruption so they decided to put a stop to it by starting a rebellion. As for my Moms side for El Salvador it was a government issue on why it started as well and based on what she told me on her experience she said that she would see helicopters up in the sky and soldiers there as well but she would stay away from them. So then in 1994 that is when my dad decided to move to America same thing for my mom expect it was 1 year earlier. So then after they both moved they met somewhere in 1998 and then after that then they had me so i have to say they are happy to have me and my brother because they wanted their child to be born in America so they did not had to suffer like mom and dad. But as for the hope part it shows that no matter how hard the times are you gotta keep on living and survive through the tough times.
Roni - Albert Einstein H.S.
Kailen -Clarksburg H.S.
Alaina - Julius West M.S.
I am proud of being me
Brazil has always been seen as a terrible place,
many assaults and corruption show the real faces.
At night, darkness and fear grow up throughout the lonely streets.
And is where the most heinous thief meets.
The red moon shout danger.
The shadows warn the predictable.
The feeling of blood running cold,
avoid us from getting out.
The sun rises.
I finally change my decision.
I get out. Millions of colors suddenly appear in my vision.
The city’s happiness can be perceived from miles away.
The colorful buildings wish a good day for the people that pass by.
The streets smile at every single guy.
Every morning we wake up with a rainbow in our hearts.
In this country, people’s perseverance and hope endure centuries.
Because Brazilians are known to never give up.
Even with trouble,
People can still live like air, free and not inside a bubble.
And every time I think to the past,
Every time I miss my roots,
I ponder about myself and think:
I am proud of being me.
I am proud of what I came to be.
Daniel - Kingsview M.S.
Thato - Rockville H.S.
I am shy and lonely
I wonder about single love
I hear cultural music in my voice
I see a mountain tree on the top
I want to be with my mom
I am shy and lonely
I pretend to be with people and happy
I feel the rain coming in my room
I touch a beautiful puppies print
I worry about my sister everyday
I cry because I miss her
I am shy and lonely
I understand her love for me
I say I want her because she is means to me
I dream about be with her
I try to make understand her
I hope she will be back
I am shy and lonely
Selamawit - James Blake H.S.
Hope in America
I moved here when I was four,
And it opened so many doors,
From hope to friendships that I cherish forever.
With my family, I came, and we were hoping for better.
We express our hope by praying dawn and night,
Staying with each other, hoping for the best.
There were inspirational people that lifted our spirits,
Giving us hope that everything would be fine.
Yuga - Pyle Middle School
Nicholas - Rosa Parks M.S.
A single light is burning doubt,
In a sea of darkness.
Will it be extinguished,
Like a ray of hope snuffed out?
Only time will tell,
How the story will end.
Will humankind defend,
Or ignore and rebel?
Susan - Clarksburg H.S.
Sophia - MCPS Virtual Academy
Naphtali - Wootton H.S.
Leo - Northwest High School
Sunspots
The sun is odd. We need it to survive. If we get too much of it, however. We die, and the use becomes useless. We won't need it to endure our livelihood if we aren't keeping our body and soul together in the first place. A friend of mine once said that if she had any power it would be to look into the sun. And I told her that she could, anytime, the sun is always there. Just like the moon. Though it is dangerous. It was an odd moment as we both felt like we needed to retort something to the other, but soon she just walked off puzzled. I later thought about it. Why does mother nature not let us look at the sun? It's so beautiful, it shows us everything. And it always has.
Why make beauty so dangerous? Maybe it's telling us something. That beauty can be limited, or maybe humans' ability or capacity to understand beauty is limited. And that we can take that beauty for granted. So don't wish to know what you are seeing in beauty, because your perception can be twisted and you can be blinded by that beauty. And maybe that's why the moon takes its place. At night. Because when the stars come to take the sun's place when the sun goes to rest, they show us something just as gorgeous. It's beautiful in a different way, because those who care enough to make sense of that attraction, the attraction of nature, find the same beauty in the moon as the sun. To some it might not have the same beauty, it is shown at a time that not much pay attention to. The night. But even things that are so bright and vibrant have flaws. Sunspots. The sun hides them so well. That the only way to discover them is to dare to look so closely into its danger. It's insecure but covers them up with the things we need. Like life. The moon doesn't hide them. Craters. The moon shows them with pride, it's a sign of resilience one could say. Both make them seem winsome. But the moon doesn't succor or support us, it merely brags its beauty. It makes the oceans wave to the shores and so on. But do we need it in the way we need the sun? Of course.
Kathleen - Thomas Pyle M.S.
This is a story about a girl who has hope that her country will get better. When she was little, she happily wandered the colorful streets of Peru and El Salvador. She heard the loud, cheerful music and saw the colorful shops. But when she saw the cold, hungry and sad people, it would break her heart to see them like that, especially when others mistreated them. She had hope that maybe one day, people will share supplies with the unfortunate and be respectful towards everyone.
Ilbe - Montgomery Village M.S.
My name is Matthew and I’m a freshman at Thomas Wootton High School. I live with my mom, dad, and brother. In 8th grade, I found out how difficult it was to maintain good grades and I started to slack off and not be the best student I could be in the first quarter. Instead of saying how bad my grades were my family just told me that they believed I could do better. I felt terrible and I almost gave up until I’ve been told by my family when something hits you down you have to stand right back up no matter what you are up against. That’s when I realized that I needed to step up and strive to improve myself no matter the time it took. After hours of studying and dedication, I finally got all A’s back. Back then my grades were against all the odds and now the table has turned. This is when I was inspired by my family for not losing faith in my capabilities.
Matthew - Wootton H.S.
Video on How Japanese Culture Has Impacted My Life by Noah - John T. Baker M.S.
Hope?
Hope is a fragile, scary, unpredictable thing.
It appears in our worst and best moments.
Hope is the bruised apples that fell off the tree.
Most of them are rotten but some are still well enough to eat.
Hope is a lot of things.
Just wish I knew what they were…
Wish
I wish I was a lot of things.
I wish I was as compassionate as Black Panther.
I wish I was as big as The Hulk.
Wish I was as smart as Iron Man, as brave as Thor, as funny as Spiderman.
Wish I was as strong as my family.
Yeah, that’s what I wish.
But for now
But for now, I can deal with this.
I can deal with my dog always tearing up my socks.
I can deal with always losing in football against my friends.
I can deal with the occasional tacos at Ixtapalapa.
I can deal with waking up at 7 every morning.
Because that’s what hope is.
Hope is your driving action, your reason to continue in this cruel world.
Sometimes hope is a jerk and punches you in the face.
But it’s your job to dodge the strike and keep on hoping.
So the secret to hope, the secret to success, the secret to life?
Keep. On. Hoping.
Ryan - Kingsview M.S.
Being different is being you.
And no matter what people think about you, you are amazing.
There will always be someone to help you If People make fun of you ,
don’t listen to them and tell someone you trust about what’s happening.
I was bullied once because of my dyspraxia , which makes sport more difficult for me.
But when I told my parents, they helped me
And remember to always stay hopeful .
To make your life more beautiful .
Pierre - Westland M.S.
Story
Congo is a country in central Africa mostly known as ¨Zaire¨. I was born in Congo and my mom won this game called ¨lottery¨ which brought me, my sister, and my mom here. I was 10-11 when I moved to the United States. I used to go to school in Congo and school in Congo isn’t free. My parents had to pay for me to go to school and if they didn’t pay or the economy was low the school would suspend me. No one was allowed to go to school if their parents couldn’t pay for the fees, some people were the bride's principal. Because the principal is the one who receives the payments from parents. Sometimes you could pay half and sometimes you couldn’t.
Gracia - Sherwood H.S.
Son - Winston Churchill H.S.
Hope in America
I moved here when I was four,
And it opened so many doors,
From hope to friendships that I cherish forever.
With my family, I came, and we were hoping for better.
We express our hope by praying dawn and night,
Staying with each other, hoping for the best.
There were inspirational people that lifted our spirits,
Giving us hope that everything would be fine.
Yuga - Thomas Pyle M.S.
I’m the moon.
whether it’s in “Selena”
or it’s in
“Yue 月”
or it’s in the battered, bruised
shell of our dusty
crescent
that returns every night
to bask sorrowfully
among the stars,
one piece in the black night,
insignificant in the universe
and,
I’m the moon.
whether it’s in “Selena”
or it’s in
“Yue 月”
or it’s in that bright glowing luminescent white
tiny piece in one big world,
that still returns
every night to smile
to shelter us with that glow
that sky-high light-
I’m the moon.
I’m Chinese.
whether it’s in
“张禾加”
or it’s in my
black hair, brown eyes
where every so often
someone asks
“Why are your eyes so small?”
and every so often
someone says
“ching chong”
because that’s who I was born as
so stop insulting me.
but,
I’m Chinese.
whether it’s in
“张禾加“
or it’s in the upside-down
福
and the red pouches of money
the 中国 within me,
within us
because I’m in this great big community
of equal people
who all deserve
to be their happiest
just like me,
I’m Chinese.
and right now,
I’m my happiest
because the moon still glows.
Selena - Kingsview M.S.
Poetry:
I am me,
I am a boy with Hindu beliefs,
I am a boy who really wants to succeed
I may have glasses but I can still see,
I can still read,
I can still hear racial slurs and mean tweets,
But the one thing that saves me is beats,
My heart and soul is in music, it makes me feel free,
If if no one else can, then I will lead,
We cannot grow without planting the seed,
We are the same,
With calls to heed, and mouths to feed,
Grass to weed, and people with need,
And that is why I will take the heat,
I will prove them wrong, make them take a seat,
So I want to chase it, because I have a dream,
I hope you see,
that we can do it,
Whether it's Art or dancing, or rhymes and music,
You can choose it,
Have the Passion, just never lose it,
If they say we can't climb the mountain, go straight through it,
We are the same,
We can play the same game,
ride in the same lane,
Try and make our own name,
How we look does not define us,
We will run our own race,
It is our decision,
It doesn't matter, our race or religion,
Because we have got a mission,
We will make people hear, We will make people listen,
We will stop the fission,
We will have conviction,
We cannot stop our passion, it's like an addiction,
Because our dream is real, not fiction.
Rohan - Neelsville M.S.
Anthony - Wootton H.S.
unnoticed
i almost wish i could have done something.
what was once a lively girl
suddenly shifted into a lifeless figure.
she forgot how to smile vibrantly
she forgot how to dream away gracefully
she couldn’t seek anything in life
all she wanted to do was fly away
fly fly fly
out of his cruel grasp
ignore his bitter truths
maybe
find mistress reverie letting her run free
creating a new sugary world
maybe
sink into the grim reaper’s cold arms
the scythe didn’t matter anyways
it seemed so simple
so painless
so easy.
she was the replica of
pandora’s box
looked fine
but so much bottled inside
shaking shaking shaking
until one last straw
released it all
uncontrollable frenzy
moths not butterflies
fly around everywhere
she was always full not hungry
but there was a sliver of hope left in the box
a fresh butterfly that just bloomed
the tiniest bit of heart in the heart.
she realized
maybe things will be okay
just a bad day
she consoled herself
too many times to count
and then one day
it was noticeable how
that very moment
was different from before.
she never looked at me
she barely even knew me
but i always watched her
seeing every burdening scene
multiple times she forced herself not to cry when she was about to shatter
multiple times silent tears kept going in secret
multiple times something extra was added to her heavy dusty pail.
but that little shard
of glimmery bittersweet
faithful motivation
became
the remedy to all of that.
and you
will never believe
she eventually broke free from
the heavy chains of sorrow.
Qwyen - Cabin John M.S.
Juliette - Julius West M.S.
Michelle - Shady Grove M.S.
Caitlin - Redland M.S.
YiYi - Julius West M.S.
Amelia - Takoma Park M.S.
Celina - Shady Grove M.S.
Kaya - John Poole M.S.
Soumya - Martin Luther King Jr. M.S.
Hope’s Fountain
Caroline
An old man sat on a fountain,
In the late of June,
A young boy sat next to him humming out a tune.
“Which song are you singing, lad?”
The old man turned and asked,
“One of fairies and leprechauns,”
The young boy smirked and said.
“Oh no, no,” The old man laughed,
“Let me not hear that again.
Leprechauns and fairies, what fortune have they sent?
They convince fools to chase fantasies, ‘til they're never the same again.
No, luck is just a hope for hope, a last ditch dream of a chance.”
“But what is luck but hope fulfilled,
A reason to keep tapping out our dance?
Oh, all the spirits that ever were made,
Were made just for that.
So toss a penny in the pond,
Good sir,
For if luck is such an empty thing,
Why is our silent song still sung,
And the fountain bottom gleaming?”
Caroline - Thomas Pyle M.S.
Sweetness Street
I was walking on the street of Georgia Avenue. I call it the street of sweetness, coffee made with fresh beans, creamers for a great taste, and chocolate for a better experience. As you walk, you can start hearing people playing with their instruments. They put in their hand’s compositions of lyrical poets, and they force them to sing them accompanied by the zither so that in this way the rhythm and harmony are insinuated in their souls. Children's joy is contagious; it is an incomparable feeling that comes inside of your heart. The good vibes make you feel at home. People hugging each other, enjoying the moment and their smiles are so beautiful. Even if you are depressed or having a terrible day. They help you pass a great moment in your life. But, why is it necessary to have fresh beans to make a great coffee instead of reusing the old beans? Reusing old grounds makes a terrible taste. It will make your next cup of coffee taste like water with a hint of coffee flavor. Fresh coffee beans are always the way to go in order to get that perfect cup of joy. Creamers give that light color and many of them have good flavors, it is the excellence that is usually eaten for breakfast. Chocolate makes your pupils enlarge and shine in the sun's rays. The light wind that passes over your face and the warmth of the weather makes your body relax and give you a bit of chills. But, I'm not only talking about coffee, I'm talking about the experience of it. However, some people can say sweetness is the meaning of “love”. When Valentine's Day arrives, most of us buy chocolates or by the night we drink a cup of coffee followed by creams. My mother always says love is patient, it is helpful, it doesn't envy, and it gives you “hope”. All these four words are connected to love, and l am still learning what is the significance of “love”. Where l walk, there is a special plaza where most young people like to hang out with their friends. Laughter is just the beginning of the fun. Each of them shows their unique talents. Art, dance, music, skateboarding, and singing are what make the plaza unique. My Street is full of one of my favorite desserts: “ice cream”. It makes your brain freeze and think much better. My friends and I don’t get bored with anything, especially when it is about trying new flavors. Since I began to enjoy the little things that the World gave me every day. I learned to taste the positive thoughts of my mind and throw away the negative thoughts. To be honest, it is not easy to overcome by yourself, my mother one day told me when you are sad, the clouds cry, and she was right. Every time when l am sad it starts to drop tears from the sky. In my Street l feel relief, everyone acts in their own way and without faking. Click, click, click, it’s time to pick my things up. I don’t like to leave my comfortable place, it’s my home where I can connect with friends. It makes me feel unhappy when I have to say goodbye. But, at least after all my walking, I can order another cup of coffee to not feel heartbroken. After all these awesome experiences l believe l will never forget the great memories of this loyal adventure. My mind and my words can make a difference to others, even when others don't see it. This is where I belong, where I was born, and where many people would love what they do. But, there are times when you no longer feel the desire to live. I think we have the right people around us. But we've focused so much on old memories that sometimes we feel bitter like coffee. In the world, there are also good people and those good people are the sweet things in life that make us feel happy and calm because they are always there at any moment. Even in difficult moments, they rescue you from the great bitterness you have, they put a little chocolate on you to look at life in a different way.
Alan Walker - Tired
Mariana - Springbrook High School
Half
By: Joel Orellana
I’m not full Hispanic but I know that I’m half
I’m very proud of it so don’t judge or laugh
I’m not from Mexico, Colombia, or Chile
I was born in the U.S. Believe it, really.
My dad’s from Peru and my mom the U.S
I learn from both, for that, I am blessed.
Hispanic and Latino, not just language or culture
It’s a people, a lifestyle, a spiritual sculpture
Made of traditions and family united each day
To help people live in a kind, happy way
Being Hispanic is both honor and privilege
I want you all now to picture an image
Of the life of a half Hispanic boy
Where being Latino gives him nothing but joy.
Joel - John T. Baker M.S.
Jonathan - Kingsview M.S.
Ryan - Hallie Wells M.S.
Poem of Hope
Hope is light,
Hiding the darkness away,
Giving me a-way,
To see the sight of the truth/
Leadership is a foundational block of hope,
It lays its foundations in peoples heads,
Giving them a new way to think,
Giving them a new way to believe.
Hope can control people,
Allowing them to great wonders,
Or it can turn on humanity,
and great bigger blunders,
Hope is light,
Hiding the darkness away,
Giving me a-way,
To see the sight of the truth.
Alexander - Blake High School
Hope of a Chinese Student
I was born in the US,
I was born in China,
Both are right,
Behold, the diffusion of different cultures.
Hope is a right,
No matter if you are an immigrant or a child of an immigrant,
You deserve hope and should have hope,
No matter what difficulties lie on your glorious path,
Hope is always present
What more can one accomplish,
With the beacon of hope?
When the waves try to drown you,
Hope is the search-party.
Regardless of whatever disadvantages being Chinese may shove at me,
I will press forward till the aurora of tomorrows,
Facing anything that betides,
My hope will be a brand and identity will be my banner.
Albert - Winston Churchill H.S.
Nicole - Lakelands Park M.S.
Suesandra - Shady Grove M.S.
Ishaan - Hallie Wells M.S.
An Average Tuesday
My arm was grabbed and I turned my head
My dad standing by my bed
“Come on. It’s time.” He said to me
My tired face beamed with glee
I made my way to the floor below
My eyes wandered to the candle’s glow
The rest of the Haftseen not far away
At 5 in the morning on that cold day
As my family gathered around
I heard the Persian radio sound
We waited for the moment when
The Persian new year would begin
After the celebration of the new year was done
The rest of the day had just begun
Out the door, I made my way
To go to school on an average Tuesday
Keo - Wootton H.S.
“or something like that” a poem by Sariah Stephen
this is the tale
of the girl
i tell you
now listen closely
all around
far more is hidden
between the lines
~
no one
knew
from where she came
they named her
“this”
and
“that”
but
it was neither
she spoke in
tongues
no one heard
seen like
something
never seen
she savored
what no one
tasted
she was different...
or something like that
~
she paved new paths
carved new roads
composed new art
paint and words and sounds alike
she flew
above reality
like the airplanes
she so very loved
far
in the sky
into fantasy
she sang
new songs
songs
of hope
songs
of love
songs
of hers
she read stories
people like her
paving paths
carving roads
for the ones
like her
they spoke in
tongues
only they heard
they were
seen like
something
never seen
they savored
what no one
tasted
for india was
where she was
planted, but
her blossoms
floated
to where she lay now
she was indian
and she loved herself.
~
and that was the tale
of the girl...
or something like that
yes, that was the tale
of the girl
i would know,
after all...
for that girl
is me
Alexander - Farquhar M.S.
Crystal - Kingsview M.S.
A Perfect Pair
Culture and heritage are a perfect pair.
You might know where you’re from,
but look within to find your unique flair.
Perhaps it’s the coily pattern of your hair
or the resounding beat of the distant drum.
You see, culture and identity are a perfect pair.
Place your order for an endless amount of love and care.
It’ll come in the mail as a plane ticket to see your loved ones.
Look within (and out) to find your unique flair.
Go to church and greet God with a special prayer.
It’s Sunday; take communion and drink the mustum.
Culture and tradition, don’t they make a perfect pair?
Tell your siblings you’re sorry and play fair.
You know you love them, so don’t look so glum.
Together, look within to find your unique flairs.
Talk all about your culture; it’s yours to share!
There’s no doubt it’ll overwhelm some,
but you’ll see culture and friendship are a perfect pair.
Look within, but speak out, and show pride to your unique flair.
Evelyn - Takoma Park M.S.
The Holy Stone
The Holy Stone
The last piece
Of this holy building
“I want to hold it!!”
“I should put it
On the building!”
Arguments
Arguments
Ar
Gu
Ments
“STOP!!”
“Whoever goes through that gate
Wil pick who will
lift the stone.”
And there he walked
Through the gates
Of chaos
Prophet Muhammad (pbuh)
“I know
How we can all hold
The black stone.”
The Cloth.
The stone on the cloth
Everyone holding the cloth.
As the stone gets safely placed
Onto the building.
Kadiatou - Redland M.S.
Mya - Robert Frost M.S.
Shyla - Julius West M.S.
Celina - Shady Grove M.S.
Roshini - Wootton H.S.
A Hopeful Journey
by
Tomas
I thought my parents used to live just like me when they were kids: surrounded by love and care in a nice house, in a nice neighborhood and with all the books and toys. While my grandparents are loving and caring, they never had the opportunities to provide my parents with what I have today. I learned that the first time I went to visit my parents' home country, Albania.
When I landed at the airport it looked normal. As I hopped into a cab, I was starting to see the houses as we drove by, and what I saw shocked me. There were very few houses and they were not like any American houses, they were old, dusty, and some parts of the house were missing like bricks. I saw mostly apartment buildings.
When I finally arrived at my grandparents’ apartment, I was shocked at how small it was and I couldn’t even tell if there was air conditioning. All the kids were playing outside. That was no surprise as the apartments were so tiny. The most common activity was playing soccer. There was no playground and no fancy bikes.
Seeing all this and where my parents grew up made me realize that not everywhere is like America.
Once I figured out how hard life was growing up for my parents, I wondered how they got to America. Then they told me a story. As I listened, I learned that they started off in a small school with poor conditions and slowly worked their way up, they worked hard every day so that they could go to a good college. They were mesmerized at what they had seen on TV about schools in the U.S. Although college was the most you could do in Albania my parents wanted to learn more, and for that they would have to leave their home country. With no financial support, they could only dream let alone hope.
Their dream turned into hope, when they heard about scholarships when they started applying for graduate school. They got in with a scholarship and after grad school my mom became an economist and my dad became a doctor. All of this is because they worked hard and didn’t stop looking for more. They dreamt and hoped and worked hard.
I learned that one cannot just hope. But without hope, you don’t find the strength to try, to take the first step towards the seemingly impossible.
Tomas - Thomas Pyle M.S.
Together
Humans
Are not meant to be alone
But to stand
Together
We may be treated like dirt
But when we are together
Our flaws shine
Like the sun
We are diamonds
Who cannot be broken
No matter how hard
They try
To break us down
We will not be stopped
Even when we have
Nothing
We will not stop
They cannot stop us
And if they ever do
We will not go down
Easily
For as long as we have
This beautiful thing
Called hope
We are stronger
Together
Joanna - Hallie Wells M.S.
Realize
Slouch
In your seat
Keep your head
Down.
Realize
You’re not the only one.
Ride like the wind
No troubles,
No fears.
Realize
It won’t last forever.
Yet
Keep it alive
And realize
This beautiful thing
Called hope.
Vivien - Hallie Wells M.S.
I AM
I am who I am,
I am a girl,
I am Hispanic,
I am Asian,
I am a daughter of immigrants,
I am loved by my parents,
I am a sister,
I am confident and different,
I am proud to be me,
I am unique and have the superpower of being
who I am.
Olivia - John T. Baker M.S.
Hope is Important
Hope is the most important place
you want to go in life
Hope helps people think
of what they are
interested in life
Hope makes your a calm
and happy person in life
What you Hope For
I hope for
a future
like a job
like a car
like money
like my family
I hope for
I can do
anything that is possible
like my schoolwork
and taking care
of my family
Zinnia Identity
I am happy with who I am.
By hoping for the dreams
I can achieve and do
I love making cookies.
By hoping for my family
Too like my baked cookies
I made for mom
I love to play soccer.
By hoping to be in the girls soccer team.
I love being with my friends.
By hoping for good friends
Right beside me
I love being on social media.
By hoping for likes
All of my posts
I am happy with who I am as a person.
By being who I am towards my friends
And family.
Zinnia’s Best Friend Maya
I am excited that she is my best friend.
By hoping for my best friend
Too always be right beside me
She makes me feel lucky about myself.
By hoping for my best friend to be a helper too me a lot
I am glad she cares about me and being there for me.
By hoping that my best friend cares for me.
I am inspired to hang out with her because we have a lot in common.
By hoping to hang out with my friends when I have the chance.
My best friend and I show concern and personal support for each other.
By hoping to have support towards each other.
I enjoy being with her in my free time.
By hoping to spend time with each other.
Zinnia - MCPS Virtual Academy
Adam Levine is one of the famous people that was diagnosed with ADHD. I too was diagnosed with ADHD when I was 5 years old and I am now 17 still trying to accept that I will forever have ADHD. It was kinda hard for me to sit still, finish my work, and focus on one thing. As a little kid for me ADHD was a hard thing for me to control but as I got older I learned how to control my impulsive behavior and lashing out at people and ignoring people. It was very hard for me to do these things. Like for normal people it is very easy to do all these things. For me I didn’t accept myself because the things that I did were not nice and I regretted all of it and I didn’t accept myself until I found out that there are people just like me that were diagnosed with ADHD.
My dad always gave me advice on what to do and how to do it like there is a big world out there that I will be entering soon. But I started taking medicine to help me focus and sit still and ignore people but sometimes the medication I would take would make me very irritable, irritated and annoyed at everyone. But at some point I would open up to people and sometimes I wouldn’t because I’m a very shy person when it comes to meeting new people. How I cope with ADHD is I either make loom bracelets/ Friendship bracelets, I would listen to music, I would clean even though I don’t really like to but I still do, I would watch movies, I would play with my online friends, or I will play with my dad we would play games together like call of duty cold war or fortnite. Now sometimes I would forget that I have coping skills that I have to use to calm me down. I also have a twin sister that Had cancer 4 years ago and she is in remission and she is doing really well. She looks really good. Without her and my dad and my step- mom I wouldn’t be the person I am right now.
Having ADHD at first I didn’t know what it meant until I did a little research and I noticed that it meant attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. When I saw the word disorder I said to myself that I am the 2nd one in my family that has a disorder. Growing up with ADHD I really didn’t have anyone close to me I could talk to except for my family members, Like therapists they weren’t really a good help for me but some were they were really nice and kind and others were just there to listen and not like their job at all. But on the bright side I’m 17 and I’m looking for jobs and applying for colleges and just trying to do the best I can right now. When it comes to me focusing it is a very hard thing to do. I get distracted easily and pretty quickly like for instance one minute I would be doing like my work and the next I would be playing with my pencil.
I have a couple of friends at school that do have ADHD and talking to them they understand a lot whenever it comes to relating with ADHD. I feel like I can talk to my friends that do have ADHD more than I can with my friends that don’t have ADHD. With my ADHD It is hard to stay organized like my room is always messy and my bag that I bring to school it would always be a mess and it’s just some people think I can be like others all nice and neat but they don’t understand that it is very hard for me to stay organized on a daily. I tell people hey how bout you try being in my shoes for a day I bet they would really feel how I feel everyday. When I was in middle school I would get In trouble a lot because I either would not be on task or I would be talking to my friends while the teacher is talking but what they didn’t know was that I really couldn’t sit still like all the other kids in my class could, I couldn’t stay focus like they could. They didn’t understand that it was very hard for me so sometimes I would have to walk around just for me to reconnect myself with what’s happening and clear my mind. But now I just stay to myself because I don’t have time to argue with people everyday. It starts to get old and annoying after a while and I’m also very quiet. I don't like to talk much unless it is one of my friends that I know very well. I am still working on managing my ADHD such as getting distracted and staying focused but it is something that I will always have to work on.
Student at John F. Kennedy H.S.
Cormac - Robert Frost M.S.
Music
Music
The most effective sounds traveling through your mind
It’s powerful tone and vibe creates emotional compassion
Feel the wings of harmony that slowly descend you away
The scent of freedom is practically just around the corner.
Don’t be afraid to even escape the horrid few seconds
Reality
The lyrics of a song that touches your deepest soul
They whisper sweet comfort in your ears
They understand you like nothing else does.
Sink into the deep abyss filled with hope and happiness
The undying feelings of sympathy could drag you down forever
The world that is much beyond the clouds and stars.
The amazing flavors of melody and unison is all you could distinguish
Music is your shining armour that saves you from anger in your life.
It shields even your worst fears
Blocking your sensitive hearing from the sounds of animosity and bitterness
It produces life that can brighten the darkest spirits within you.
The one thing that lets you breath a full breath without taking a moment to stop
The strongest emotion that you’ve been waiting for instantly surges
One that not even the slightest touch of reality can achieve.
Lifting you farther away from your world as it travels with you
The verses, far past the reach of your ears
Waiting to be heard by someone special like you
Your greatest desire is finally revealed
Take this music
Use it
Let it take you away
Victoria - Redland M.S.
Ashvin - Thomas Pyle M.S.
Carole - Springbrook H.S.
Title American thumb l raise my eyes to admire you l want for a second to contemplate you and my verses to sing to you. Beautiful country full of excitement, perfect for its people for its thousand colored villages that got rid of so many invaders.today we celebrate your history of 199 years of independence. We praise your bravery and we reflect on your daring. Pretty little land of y heart that has seen me grow up, l wear blue and white in my being and l want to show your battles everywhere.places full of beauty resplendent coasts that kiss the blue of the sky you are art completely you are talent and beauty , are you my beautiful country , El salvador
Marlin - Springbrook H.S.
America
They say it’s a place filled with prosperity,
A place where everyone is said to succeed,
A place where people make their own legacy,
A place where wealth and power are guaranteed.
It’s bordered with mountains as tall as the sky,
It’s matted with flowers, vibrant as rainbows,
And crowned with clouds that occasionally cry,
Picture perfect, like the land is in a pose.
The luminous moon shines delicately bright,
The aromatic smell in the air is sweet.
The crackling fire in the fireplace ends each night.
But what's it really without all the deceit?
It’s a land where only hard workers can thrive,
Blood, sweat, and tears are required to stay alive.
Joshua - Thomas Wootton H.S.
“My Ada Ada, Kamgharida,”
My mama and papa would say to me.
“Your name is strong like the tusk of an elephant.
Your name is beautiful like the sweet melody of a song.
Your name is grand like the smile from a stranger.
Your name is sacred, like the temple in the village.
Your name is admired, like the pride of the nation.”
They chuckle,
The warm aroma of happiness wraps us in a bubble.
I don’t want to leave.
“Your name is a leader, leading others to new opportunities.
Your name is a storyteller, telling the story of your culture.
Your name is a backbone, supporting others through its structure.
Your name is an illustrator, creating art for others to rejoice.”
They continue their psalm,
Their joyous hearts spilled into the fluidity of the words.
“You’re the Ada, the first daughter.
The warrior of the house.
The footsteps behind your mama.
The warmth combating the cold.”
“Your name, my Ada Ada, holds meaning.”
They gently cradle me in their arms, caressing my chubby cheek with their lips. My delicate hands wrap around their sturdy fingers,
A new world unfolds for us.
“Let me not fall from my faith.
That is the meaning.”
I am the faith in the future.
I am the faith in the now.
I am the faith in the then.
My name is Kamgharida, the faith of the world.
Kamgharida - Thomas Pyle M.S.
Heritage Hope
-- by John Kasha III, 172175
Heading to my uncle’s home every Saturday night for dinner and leisure, I am mostly
Excited about winning my other uncle in the Chinese chess match.
Rushing through eating, I prepare for the thrill.
Interestingly everyone else is chatting about current affairs everywhere in the world.
Tasting food does not attract me, but my sister could not stay away from ma po tofu 麻婆豆腐.
After dinner, conversation carries on, so is our chess 象棋
Game, which lasts forever because
Everyone wants to win.
Helping relatives and friends around the world is my family’s goal.
Of course, enjoying fun games and a delicious meal
Provides a pleasant occasion to mingle.
Ending the night early, I am already looking forward to next week’s episode.
The hair is a natural crown, a representation of a women’s status and identity,
The hair is a woman's pride, joy, and beauty
Weather she chooses to shave it in order to represent
Her freedom from the ropes that once oppressed her,
Or she chooses to keep it short and lay it down into swaying waves like the ocean utop her beautiful sunsetting face,
Her hair is a beauty so grand, a representation, a symbol of who she is deep within
She is a native with locks all the way down to her knees as a symbol of her connection to the vast earth,
She will not cut it, ever, she will stand firm like the ground,
no colonizer is going to force her hair into assimilation,
because she is befitting for the earth and the earth is befitting for her,
The status of an African woman is represented through her many braids sitting atop her head like a piece of art, one that can never be stolen, her heritage and pride.
This hair is my beauty, a telescope into who I am and what I stand for.
A blonde,with golden streaks of beauty a gift from god so beautiful as the sands that keep the entire oceans at bay,
A beautiful inheritance from her rich ancestors,
and a gift to the next generations,
She wears a hijab to represent her control over her beauty, because her beauty isn’t meant for peering eyes, it is meant only for those deserving of such a gift, her hijab in its many colors and patterns a distraction from the true overpowering god gifted beauty underneath.
This is our crown, one that can never be stolen, because it is merely a representation of our entirety. And our entirety will continue to persist because we are strong. We are the very definition of strength.
Hikma - MCPS Virtual Academy
Hope in my Point of View
In my point of view, hope is still here,
Don’t shed your tears,
Don’t fear,
Hope is still here!
Hope may not be apparent at first,
Don’t leave hope in the dust,
Don’t let hope rust,
Hope will still be here!
Hope is a godsend sent down to Earth,
If you feel inert,
You can blurt,
Hope, I need you here!
All in all, hope is our life support,
It made the whole concept of rapport,
Don’t fear, don’t shed your tears,
HOPE IS STILL HERE!
Dhriti - Kingsview M.S.
YOuI looked for you in a lot of dark places hoping to find u
But I did not know that I was supposed to pass the darkness by myself I gave up looking for you in the darkness
I looked for you in the caves but you weren't there, I kept going in and in
I gave up, I gave up looking for you in the caves
I looked for you in other people's eyes hoping they will tell me they have you, you weren't there, I gave up looking for you in the eyes of people
you don't know where and where else I looked for you but after a while, I thought to myself, what if I myself have the hope in me, I figured out that hope is in the human itself, not in anybody else, after I gave up looking for you everywhere, I ultimately found you in my heart and in my soul, hope, you are the key to everyone’s successful life
Abda - Sherwood High School
Wishes & Me
By: Ami Liau
---------------------
As the eagle flaps its broad wings and lifts off
As the dragon soars in the sky
As the beaver builds its disaster-proof dam
As the wolf howls among the white snow
This is me.
This is my identity.
My culture? A mismatch of this and that.
My background? Crystal clear.
Aspiration, desire, wishes, and dreams of more
To me, that is hope
Yet it is also staying content with what you have in the present. And looking back, happy with what you’ve achieved.
I am myself
You can see me,
yet all of my experiences, my life lie underneath.
Hidden.
So I shall take life one step at a time,
For no one can know their path from the start.
To look forwards to what is coming,
And live without regrets, for that is me.
From the dirt under my feet,
To the scenery around me,
Man-made and natural,
And the sky, ever wide and full of possibilities.
That is hope.
That is my guiding light- new adventures and places that I haven’t seen. I do not adhere to a single culture.
I am simply me
Ami - Bethesda Chevy-Chase H.S.
Arjun - Robert Frost Middle School
Really Sad Story.
I want you to know something:
it is never, never, never your fault.
Ever.
Never.
And you have to understand that anyone,
anyone,
who tells you that you are crazy,
you are not depressed,
you are going through a phase,
you have to just try harder,
is not doing anything right.
Because real depression
is when you stop loving the things that you love.
Because real depression
is being sad and not remembering why.
Because real depression
exists.
It is real.
And it can
cloud your mind.
Take you over.
Shoot you down.
And manipulate you.
And force you
to lose
the things
you love.
But no matter what,
no.
No, you are not crazy.
No, you are not mentally unstable.
You just have to find yourself
once more.
You have to find
the magic
that makes you
You.
And uncover it
Again.
Fight
the war inside you
with the magic
you discovered.
It may be buried
deep underneath you.
And it may be hiding
behind boxes of
sadness and wilted flowers.
But I can promise you
that it’s there.
You will always have
the magic that makes you
You.
Sometimes
the attic that is your
Mind
can be messy.
Maybe you haven’t
been up there
and looked through
everything
in a while.
Maybe there are boxes
of memories
you forgot
existed.
Maybe there are boxes
of lives
you lived
before
it all.
Maybe you need to ask someone
to help you
clear out
your attic.
Maybe you’ll find a suspicious-looking cookbook
filled with magical recipes
behind tablespoons of sadness
and milk cartons of past.
Just remember
it’s there.
You may need some help to
find it.
I’m not asking you
to find a panacea
for everything wrong
in this world.
No one is.
I don’t need it.
All I need
is you.
All I need
is you
making it
to tomorrow.
Even if it takes ten-thousand
Just one more day’s
before we reach
I can’t wait for tomorrow.
Outlive
your sad story.
Hide it in
the milk cartons of past.
Spill
your tablespoons of sadness
and feel free
to make a mess.
And build
an attic,
build a home,
so magical,
you can see it glow
from miles away.
FIN.
Ahalya - Kingsview M.S.
Ciesla
Born in 1917 in Poland.
Ciesla grew up and married
a young man named Israel.
But she was a Jew.
and to be a Jew in Eastern Europe
at the time
was not good.
She was one of five siblings.
But by the end of the Holocaust,
she was the only one
of her siblings left.
The holocaust killed her entire family.
She could not stay.
So she moved.
To Sweden.
And had a daughter.
My grandmother.
My grandmother had my mother, and
my mother had
Me.
I would not be alive
without Ciesla.
Abigail - Westland M.S.
Victoria Poolesville H.S.
Victor - Seneca Valley H.S.
Uma - Westland M.S.
Suen - Herbert Hoover M.S.
Stella - Westland M.S.
Bias, Discrimination, and Hate are all forms of Racism. They divide us. Race doesn’t divide people; differences and diversity should be celebrated.
By studying my Indian heritage, I learned that diversity can be celebrated. India is a land of “Unity in Diversity.” The high mountain ranges, vast seas, large river-irrigated lands, countless rivers and streams, dark forests, and sandy deserts, have adorned
India with an exceptional diversity. Among the people, there are numerous races, castes, creeds, religions and languages.
My hope is for unity and the celebration of diversity. It should unite us but not divide us.
The term “Unity in Diversity” refers to the state of togetherness in-spite of the presence of immense diversity.
The phrase “Unity in Diversity” is based on the concept in which individual or social differences like physical attributes, skin color, castes, creed, cultural, and religious practices are not looked upon as a conflict. These differences should be looked upon as varieties that enrich the society and the nation as a whole.
The fact remains that regardless of divisions and distinctions, caste or creed, Indians have lived together for thousands of years. Different regions observed variations in climate. The spoken language of one state is quite different from that of another. They wear different types of garments. They celebrate different festivals and perform varied religious rites. People belonging to diverse cultures belong to different religious faiths. In spite of these differences, Indians have a sense of unity among them. Thus, we can conclude that India is a land of Unity in Diversity. Here’s an image that shows the diversity in culture throughout India.
Harshitha - Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. M.S.
Thu - Shady Grove M.S.
Suchira - Hallie Wells M.S.
Yasmine - Westland M.S.
Did you hear about the free-willed leaf?
One that goes wherever life leads it to. a leaf in the wind, as it shows its damaged leafy parts.
one wonders how a leaf so ruined managed to find its way.
"look at that leaf!" everyone says.
a leaf so gentle and shy, sways away from the mind's eye.
but where will the leaf go?
no one knows.
for only the leaf is aware, once a leaf whose tree was bare.
Emerald - Northwood H.S.